Chapter 23: The Change

"No, absolutely not!" John said folding his arms over his chest now as he stared at Irene, "I am not going to wear a dress for goodness sakes!"

Irene rolled her eyes heavenward, "Having you dressed in a suit will in no way keep you safe."

"Why not?" John asked looking from the midnight blue dress to the black suit that lay next to it. At the last moment they had decided it would be better for him to put on a dress instead. Of all things, a dress!

"The dress you're going to wear will have many layers, enough layers to keep you safe should the Father decide to do anything to you," she explained, "also, it'll give you a certain distance between you and your attacker. Wide skirts you know?"

"How's that supposed to help?" John asked exasperated.

"It'll give you reason to wear strong perfume to cover your scent…" Irene murmured, "That way if The Father were there he wouldn't think you were a human. You'd have a better chance of watching over Sherlock."

He sighed, "Sherlock?" John asked looking to the vampire who sat off to the side in the couch in his room, waiting for his opinion on the matter at hand.

"If it keeps you safer than a suit I'm all for it," Sherlock said, trying to hide a smile at the thought of having to see John in a dress. He quite liked the idea of that, seeing the hunter in a dress. "And Irene is right. Perfumes do mess up vampire senses."

"No! It's going to be so…weird!" John groaned, picking up the dress and feeling it's soft satin run through his fingers. As if a suit and cologne wouldn't do! But he was going to be wearing this for Sherlock's sake, to be able to follow him into the masquerade ball. To keep Sherlock safe…

"Alright fine. But I'm not going to wear any heels with this."

"That's a good boy," Irene purred, taking the dress from John's hands now as she went to hang it up now. "We'll come by early tomorrow to get you ready and hopefully everything goes according to plan."

Sherlock couldn't sleep that night. He crept over to John's room then, watching as the hunter slept, curled up on his side in bed. The danger that tomorrow would bring. Sherlock climbed into John's bed, and slipped in behind the hunter, wrapping his arms around John as he pulled John into his arms. The vampire kissed the crown of John's head, "I love you…" he whispered, noting how John seemed to respond with a snuggle up close to him at those words.

Sherlock settled down in bed beside John now and he closed his eyes, trying to get some rest before tomorrow. It seemed that having John beside him put him at ease and soon he fell off into his vampiric sleep.

He'd come rushing into the hospital as soon as he'd heard news that Jim's condition was getting worse. The nurses had said that there was little time left for Jim to live and they had told him that he could spend time together with Jim in his last moments. Sherlock hadn't thought it to be true until he entered the intensive care unit where he saw Jim, pale, gaunt and nothing like when they had first met.

Through the oxygen mask, Jim had wanly smiled at him, "Hello, Sherlock."

"Jim," he said pulling up a chair to the other's bedside. This was what he hated about humans. They died so easily, they were so weak…if only he hadn't fallen for Jim.

"I'm glad you came," Jim rasped.

"Of course I'd come to see you. Why would I not?" Sherlock said, slipping his fingers into Jim's as he held his hand.

The slight movement of Jim's shoulders showed him shrugging, "I thought I wasn't important enough."

"Don't be stupid Jim. You're the most important thing to me."

"Good. I'm happy then…I'm happy."

Just like that he was gone. Jim had taken a breath in and never breathed out again.

"No. No. Jim," Sherlock said panicking, "Jim, Jim wake up." He shook Jim's body gently, receiving no response he knew…Jim was dead. Anger welled up in him at his inability to protect the one he loved from something so simple such as a bout of sickness.

'Change him…' He let his fingers trail over Jim's face, pale and paper white. "I can't live without you…" he murmured, his fangs slipping out now. Sherlock took a seat on the side of the bed and brought Jim's wrist to his lips, he would change him, even though that meant going against the rules…

"Jim," Sherlock whispered as he looked down at the other's pale face. Those lively eyes, still shut, "please…please let this work," he whispered over and over again, licking his lips. His eyes watching as his lover's body lay still. There was no sign of movement, nothing to indicate that the vampire blood was doing its work. Sherlock refused to believe that it was too late. He removed the oxygen mask from Jim's face now, setting it aside as he scraped his fangs against his own skin once more, he placed his wrist over Jim's lips and let his blood fall against Jim's parted lips. He didn't even know if this would work, Sherlock had never changed anyone. Jim was his first and he had no one to turn to for help.

"Jim, wake up. Please, wake up."

Then just like that you could see it, the colour coming back into his face, his once gaunt body filled out once again with life and as Jim's eyelids fluttered open, they were the haunting red of the newly changed vampire.

"Sherlock…" Jim rasped, looking to him.

Sherlock had never felt happier in all his life, he hugged the other to him, feeling as tears fell from his eyes, "Thank god. Thank god you're back Jim. I thought I was too late," he murmured, burying his lips in Jim's hair, "I thought I'd lost you forever."

"Thirsty…" Jim rasped by his ear and Sherlock pulled back.

"I know," he replied, hands going to unbutton the first few buttons on his shirt as he pulled the cloth away, "Here," he said, turning his head to the side, offering his neck to Jim. The other immediately pounced on him, the strength of a newly born vampire had Sherlock pinned down to the bed. He smiled to himself his hands slipping into Jim's hair, holding him close as he drank, hungrily. He had succeeded.

"It's going to be alright," Sherlock whispered, calming Jim down now when the other had finished drinking. His eyes were wide, lost and afraid, the haunting red of hunger had vanished with the feeding.

"I'm sorry…" Jim murmured, his eyes averted.

"Jim, it's your natural lifestyle now. You're going to need blood to survive you don't have to be sorry," Sherlock assured him, "You're going to be fine. I'll be here to guide you Jim."

"Promise me Sherlock…that if I ever do get out of hand…promise me that you'll be there to put a stop to me. Alright?"

Sherlock nodded, "You won't get out of hand, you're not that kind of person Jim. You'll turn out to be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Jim asked, a cheeky smile on his lips.

"Because I'm going to be watching over you. You're my responsibility now Jim."

"I love you, Sherlock. I don't know what I'd do without you…I really don't."

AN: Sorry for the long intervals between posting chapters guys! I've been busy with camps and taking part in SRS2013. I need to stop making excuses though and start keeping to my schedules! I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though. Do leave me a comment to let me know what you liked about it and i'll see you in the next chapter!